Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada

This section contains detailed information for people interested in traveling to the United States. Please select a link on the left for further details.

Note: Canadian citizens do not require a visa to enter the United States directly from Canada for the purposes of visiting or studying.

Intending immigrants, fiances or investors must qualify for a visa before entry in the same manner as other nationalities. Other entrants, such as journalists, temporary workers or NAFTA professionals must present all necessary supporting documentation and/or approved petitions directly to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (www.cbp.gov) Officer at the Port of Entry. Our "Doing Business In America page" has more information on this subject.

Additionally, there are a few exceptions to the general visa waiver policy for Canadian citizens involving foreign citizen spouses and fiancé(e)s, treaty traders and investors, and diplomats.

To enter the United States by air, land or sea, Canadian visitors must have a document that complies with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Unlike some other nationalities, as a Canadian your passport need not be valid beyond the duration of your planned trip to the U.S. and it need not be machine-readable. For more information on passport requirements, please visit the relevant section of this website.

Please be sure to check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection web site for the latest updates on U.S. entry requirements for Canadians and others.

Canadian visitors are generally granted a stay in the U.S. for up to six months at the time of entry. Requests to extend or adjust a stay must be made prior to expiry to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. All Canadians are reminded that U.S. law requires all foreigners to qualify for the desired stay and purpose at the time of their intial entry. A visitor who intends to live, work or study in the U.S. may be permanently barred from the U.S.

For general information about Immigrating to or Residency in the United States, please visit Travel.State.Gov.

Additionally, more detailed information for Canadians traveling to the U.S. is available from Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.